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Thursday, December 30, 2010

What I've Learned - A Look Back on 2010

Usually I post a What I've Learned post on Thursdays, but since I haven't really been reading at craft related books, I thought this would be an appropriate time to look back on things I've learned in my own writing, from others, and from reading.

Don't be afraid to write a scene. Even if you're not sure it will work, write it anyway. At the very least, you may get some insight to your characters. And I know this sounds crazy, but maybe this idea will work and fit perfectly into your manuscript. Just write it. You can always delete it later.

Taking a long writing break is a bad idea. It's much harder to get back into a project once I leave it for a long time. This is especially true for me with revising. If I'm working on Chapter 4, and I haven't been working for the past few days, I spend a lot of time reviewing Chapters 1 through 3 to get me back on track.

Writers need support. Writing is a lonely activity. If we all stayed holed up in our writing caves and never talked to one another, we'd probably all go crazy (if we're not already!).

Published authors are your friends. Don't be scared to go to a signing of an author you like. I went to two signings this year and both times I learned a lot from the authors. It's nice to hear how everything didn't just fall right into their laps. They had to struggle, too!

Don't be afraid to show your work to someone you trust. I kept my WIP to myself for way too long, and it resulted in a lot of re-writes that I might have avoided if I just let someone read it. Earlier this month I sent a few chapters to a member of my writing group and she gave me some awesome feedback. It really boosted my confidence, and made me wonder why I didn't do it sooner.